Achieve The Perfect Pout… Naturally

Throughout history, ladies have painted their lips with rouge and lipstick to enhance their appeal. In current times, it is still universally acknowledged that plump lips are sensual. Together with red lipstick, full lips can deliver the ultimate pout, and has the ability to make the other gender to go weak in the knees. Just look at Hollywood screen sirens like Angelina Jolie and Megan Fox.

Want evidence? Well, a study carried out by Manchester University recorded that men gazed at women’s lips for an average of 7 seconds, compared to less than a second spent looking at their hair and eyes. Although full lips were deemed to be the most attractive facial feature, thin lips were acknowledged to be 40% more appealing when lipstick was applied.

If you find yourself wishing you had fuller lips and will do almost anything - stopping short of lip injections and the recent phenomena known simply as the “Kylie Jenner Challenge” where girls sucked shot glasses to swell up their lips – this article is for you.

Don't try this at home!Image credit: tuesdayswithmama.com

5 natural ways to make your lips appear fuller

1. Apply peppermint oil Peppermint oil can help to increase blood circulation in the lips by reacting with your lips so that they swell slightly with a rosy red tone. This only lasts an hour or so, but it has a cooling effect, and you can even apply it with your favourite lip balm.

2. Increase circulation through exfoliationExfoliating your lips regularly will help to increase blood circulation that will improve the plumpness and rosiness of your lips. Just add a mixture of sugar with honey or olive oil and apply it to your lips, using a soft bristle toothbrush to rub them gently in circular motions. After this, remember to moisturise your lips to keep them hydrated and prevent them from chapping.

3. Exercise your lipsAs with every other muscle in your body, the muscles in your lips will lose their tone and plumpness if you do not exercise them. Watch the video below and start getting those lips in action!

4. Lip massages Massaging your lips achieves better blood circulation (I think you can see where this is going) and improves the texture of your lip muscles. One way is to massage your lips with aloe vera gel – it contains antioxidants that treats fine lines in your lips, removes dirt and moisturises them so they become softer and bigger-looking. An alternative is to bundle up a handful of ice cubes within a clean cloth and place it on your lips every day for 10 minutes – this helps to relax the muscles in your lips so you can achieve rosier and fuller lips.

5. Do your makeup right Using darker or matt shades of lipstick will make your lips appear thinner, so use lighter and glossier/glittery shades of lipstick as the light reflective particles in them will give the illusion of fuller lips.

You can also apply a concealer over the contours of your mouth, and then use a lip liner (a colour that is the closest to your natural shade) to trace out your natural lip contour with a tiny gap in between. Make sure you don’t overdo it as the point is to make it look natural! After outlining your lips, fill them in with the same lip liner. The similar colour of the lip pencil to your lip colour will make your lips look slightly, but naturally, bigger.

Lastly, use a highlighter/white pencil/light shimmery eyeshadow and apply it just above your Cupid’s bow. Gently blend it in and voila – the light reflectors will help your lips achieve a fuller appearance! (Just remember to go easy on the highlighter or your upper lip will look like it’s perspiring)